


There is a light that never goes out.

by LadyP15



Series: Seasons of the witch [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff, Hux is a witch, M/M, Magic AU, Pining, Unrequited Love, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 18:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9083530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyP15/pseuds/LadyP15
Summary: Terrified of losing Kylo's friendship, Hux bottles his feelings up expressing his devotion through his spell work.Between daydreaming about how perfect they are for each other, protecting his brother from lovelorn florists and manipulating Europe's banking landscape. Hux has a lot on his plate.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think there are any particular trigger issues in this fic (apart from my appalling lack of grammar and spelling), but if anyone spots any I will be happy to include it in the tags. 
> 
> In this fic I based Hux's origins in Ireland so I kinda imagine that his magic would be Celtic based. Hux's chosen deity is Habonde who is a Celetic Goddess who represents an abundance of joy, health, fertility, and luck.
> 
> Mo thaisce. Brionglóidí milis /My darling sweet dreams. I don't know if this is a correct translation I've used Gaelic words with English syntax so if its wrong I'll be more than willing to correct it. 
> 
> Hopefully this will be the first in the series of small AUs I'm planning to write. I don't know if they will be complete stories, it all depends on time and inspiration. Anyway, enjoy.

Hux had felt triumphant at first, with all the sing-song gleeful feeling of ‘I told you so’. This quickly evaporated when he took in the full extent of Kylo’s misery. His clutch on the doorframe exposed the whiteness of his knuckles, the sunken red rimmed eyes, his hair that lacked its usual boyish bounce and most of all the slump of his shoulders that just rolled off waves of defeat. His well worn leather jacket was dripping copious amounts of water on to Hux’s oak floorboards. His beloved tatty converse’s soles were starting to peel significantly from their shoe, suggesting Kylo has done some serious walking in the rain before arriving at Hux’s door. All these symptoms could only have one diagnosis; Kylo had broken up with Ashley, or his parents were in town.

Hux knew that the infamous MP and her legally ambiguous husband were not currently in the country, so it must be the insufferable Ashley. The earnest smiles and perfectly quaffed hair had not moved Hux in the slightest, but Kylo head fallen head first as usual. Maybe insufferable was a bit much, but seeing as he was currently Kylo’s apple of his eye and was said someone who had led Kylo to current condition…...well insufferable would suit very well.

Hux had known from the start it would lead to this. He didn't need to be a witch to recognise when someone was doing some pretty underhand networking. A bit of a Google search and a Facebook hack, had found that Ashley was wanting a work internship at Labour headquarters in Chelsea. What better way to then to date that MP’s son who was head of that party? Knowing how previous warnings of impending doomed relationships had fallen on deaf ears, an on one memorable occasion a decent scolding of, ‘your starting to sound a lot like my mother’. Hux had ceased being the messenger of bad news and tried to minimise the emotional upheaval, when it predictably went south.

Hux felt his lips thin as he tried to hold back the swirling torrent of rage that he wanted to expel. But going on such a rant on Kylo’s naivete would not have the desired outcome and would only make Kylo withdraw more. Taking in his drawn face Hux can clearly see a shadow lurking in Kylo’s eyes that spoke of fear that Hux would refuse him entry. As if he could deny Kylo anything. They know each other so well, no words are needed. Hux simply nods and lets him pass.

Closing the front door firmly, Hux eyes Kylo’s wet footprints critically, “I’ll run you a bath you look like you swam here”.

Kylo makes a quick jerking motion with his shoulders, but it quickly slumps again as he heads to the couch. Trying to hide his wince when he spares a thought for the leather upholstery, Hux walks to the bathroom. Promptly closing the door, not wanting for him to see the scattering of a spell he had been working on (although there was little chance of that considering Kylo’s reflections were focused on his own inner turmoil). He efficiently tides the sandalwood oil, sprigs of dill as well as fresh white sage away.  
Company had been the last thing on his mind, but fortunately the spell he had been casting had required fresh rainwater. Thankfully his building is built in the late Georgian style and has granted him the use of large French windows in his bathroom that make it easier to collect it. Facing the East he was promised strong moonbeams tonight and it would have been a perfect time to start on his protection charm for his familiar.

Millicent has been getting more adventurous, hiding in the oddest places while spying on various witches across the city. If this had been Millicent protecting their boundaries Hux wouldn't have minded so much. But Millicent’s activities had been purely selfish, watching when fellow witches fed their own familiars and where spare food is kept when both are out. This is simply retaliation ever since Hux had put her on a calorie controlled diet. He knows this is only a matter of time before she is caught and it will be him that suffers the consequences. A cursed familiar is about as useful as a glass hammer. With no stability to his magic, his spell work will suffer and that is something that Hux will not tolerate.

  
With a flick of the wrist the tap turns and hot water gushes out, slowly clouding the room with moisture. With confident and purposeful movement he adds a sprinkling of lavender oil , and scatters a three types of leaves, around the bath’s edge. Holly to banish unwanted entities , Cedar for protection and preservation, and Thyme for love. He hesitates with the later not wanting it to be too overpowering, but wanting Kylo to feel the comfort of warmth within a home.

Collecting a tall white candle from a shelf he lights it with a click of his tongue and places it in the circle of leaves. Reaching into his pocket he removes his topaz wishing stone. It has the same shades and fathomless depths as a well known pair of fine eyes, that are currently sitting on his couch. The grooves of it are so well known to him that he could draw it from memory. Its a comfort and a source of his strength. Clutching it tightly in his fist he leans over the bathwater until his nose is nearly touching the surface. Whispering the words that his mother taught him and her mother before her.

 _“Green leaves, gift from earth,_  
_Birth to death and death to birth,_  
_Keep all disturbances far away,_  
_Day to night and night to day,_  
_Peace and power hand in hand,_  
_In the night shall make their stand”._

  
It’s a sleeping charm. He can’t stop Kylo falling for utter cads without affecting his free will, but he can give his friend a sleep where he feels safe, calm and well rested. Nothing soothes the soul as much as a hot bath. For extra measure Hux rigorously moves the water around the bath with his hand and watches it shimmer from a deep gold, to a mustard yellow, to an emerald green. Naked to the mortal eye it will grant the rest Kylo needs.

Letting out the steam Hux leans out the windowsill and lets the faint breeze tickle his face. Hux envies the wind. It’s free of any earthly concerns, to twist and turn not trapped in the confines of a human shell. It would be easy to abandon this mortal pretence, and join his mother in the shores beyond this realm.

From an outsider's perspective, he could see why people would be baffled why he enjoyed this self inflicting burden of being Kylo’s friend. He was volatile, inpatient, prone to moods of depression which often led to a road of self destruction. The scars on his body were testament to that.

People always complained that Kylo’s emotional outburst were his undoing, but Hux disagreed. Kylo was so alive and he burned so brightly, it should have been seen as a gift. Everything he felt had to expelled and shared. Like his grandfather before him, Kylo’s talents laid in presenting truth like an art form when it was invisible to others, even if the truth was uncomfortable.

Kylo was so alive, so very alive and he burned so brightly that Hux had nothing but raging contempt for those who tried to snuff this flickering light out. It was the absence of him that Hux struggled with the most. Kylo seemed to take up so much room that when he was gone, Hux felt unbalanced and bereft. His bleak beige life couldn’t hold up a candle to the colourful whirlwind that was Kylo’s company.

Hux’s life was so ordered with not an eyebrow hair out of place, he could be nothing else. All he had was his prickly disposition, efficiencies that bordered on mania and a talent for magic. Hux couldn't pinpoint why he was so in love with him, he was everything that his father hated; warmth, passionate and kind, oh so terribly kind. So kind that it was with a great amount of effort not for a confession to tumble from his lips. Even if they were doing such mundane things together; Kylo waiting for Hux unexpectedly outside his work, after a gruelling meeting, with coffee from his favourite cafe. Just the way he likes it.

_By god I love you._

Kylo offering him, his coat as they walk back from the cinemas on a frosty night.

_I’m so in love with you._

Kylo leaving humorous caricatures of Hux’s work colleagues for him to find around his apartment.

_Let me stay by your side forever._

The truth was Hux was a coward. The thought of Kylo discovering the truth and pitying him, made his insides wither in shame. The ache of unrequited love was bearable to the icy sting of rejection. Hope was like a weed and no matter how hard Hux tried to stamp it out Kylo unconsciously watered it with his smiles and playful winks. Hux had accepted this as part of his life, and if he had to busy himself with the kettle when Kylo lent in too close, or fiddle with his phone when Kylo’s eyes went soft around him them so be it. He was clearly put on this planet to suffer, but if the cost was Kylo’s happiness then _c'est la vie_.

Shaken out of his musings by a cough from the living room he tests the water. Satisfied with the temperature and depth of the bath, Hux heads back to see Kylo slumped on the arm of the sofa.Sighing he walks briskly towards the lump and putting on his best pseudo-military voice he urges, “Come on. Sleeping on there will only give you a pinched nerve and leave you covered in cat hair, when Millicent comes home and sees you as a new cushion. At least with a bath and a decent bed to sleep in you’ll feel like tomorrow can be a clean slate mentally and physically.”

Lifting his head up he meets Hux’s eyes and his bottom lip trembles ever so faintly, for a few precious seconds Hux almost wavers.

“Drool on my couch and you pay for it. Its an original Chesterfield don’t you know?”

Kylo’s lips twitches, of course he knows. He was the one that helped Hux carry it up the four flights of stairs when the deliveryman hightailed after the lift malfunctioned. He also knows that Hux is joking and this is his pathetic attempt of humour. Hux loved Kylo and all his ways, but he wasn’t going to coddle him in this self involved moping. Probably knowing that Hux wouldn’t cease until his demands had been met. Kylo heaved himself up and made is way to the bathroom closing the door behind him with a definite click.

  
Pausing outside the bathroom door, he waits until he can hear the sound of removing clothing and the splash of a weary body sinking into water. Satisfied Hux gets to work making the guest bedroom habitall.

There's nothing that really needs doing this is Kylo’s room when he stays, but there are still a few things that can be done to make his stay mentally less taxing. Fresh sheets for a start. Reaching out from under the bed, Hux pulls the draw and gets out a periwinkle blue set that he saves for these types of occasions. Putting aside the astronomical high thread count, Hux had read that this shade of blue is good for promoting relaxation. It also helps that its Kylo’s favourite colour.

The room is on the small side but is uncluttered. An iron based four poster with a chestnut side cabinet and matching wardrobe are the only objects that take any significant room. Unlike the rest of Hux’s flat, which is painted in various shades of white: this room is a an ombre selection of various shades of light pea green. It often reminds Hux of the meadow behind Kylo’s childhood house.

The only piece of decoration is a painting called Ocean Paradise. It depicts a renaissance naval ship battling the waves during a sunrise. They had been at a art gallery belonging to one of Hux’s clients, he didn't even want be there but had know Kylo would love it. He had spent at least 40 minutes in front of this piece discussing colour and tones. Hux had never seen him so bright. Returning the next day he had purchased it. Kylo had smiled so warmly when he saw it hanging in his guest room. Of course he thinks its a print, but the less that Kylo knows the better.

Art, slightly watered down rock & roll and vegan finger food from Moo Moos on Frigate Street are what make Kylo shine. So if Hux has to sit through concerts in dimly lit bars, eat overpriced and undercooked vegetables and then go see artists work that he doesn't comprehend or want to, just to please Kylo then bring it on.

During moments whens hes feeling particularly lonely, he likes to imagine the kind of life Kylo deserves to have when all of his qualities are praised rather than looked upon as a personal failings. If he had been given another life maybe he would have been granted the chance of poetic knight weighing the moral and ethical implications of waging a religious war, but at the cost of his immortal soul; or windswept explorer battling sirens off the coast of Maui, whilst searching for new trading routes or; some lonely untouchable prince who wears a crown spun from silver leaves that anoints his head gazing out from parapets of stone, whilst secretly pining for someone to share this burden of ruling his land and his heart.

Those lives and stories are the ones Kylo deserves, not the life of a minimum wage ex-con, who had been dissuaded against pursuing art like his grandfather. Struggling educationally due to the mounting pressure to walk the same path that his family had trodden before him, filled with well articulated charismatic figures who could spar with the best thinkers on the current political horizon hadn't helped . Poor Kylo never stood a chance with considerable anxiety, aggravating dyslexia and no safe outlet for his pent up aggression. It was no wonder he lashed out.

In these fantasies Hux is always by his side as comrade, friend and sometimes when he feels really sadomasochistic he includes lover as well. The last fantasy is his favourite, when he's feeling particularly melancholy he can see it so clear like, crystal beams reflected on a wall.

_Kylo the son of a Queen and himself the infamous thief stealing from all nobility in the valley. Kylo’s mother’s land is no exception. Hux dreams of many a moonlit night where he climbs up to Kylo’s tower to perch on his stone balcony to trade barbs and ideas of governance, whilst still threatening to steal the crown jewels. At the end of these heated yet exciting exchanges, the warning that Kylo might call the guards if he returns, rings uselessly in his ears as he leaves. Kylo never does. Hux suspects Kylo likes the attention and finds the experience slightly erotic, been seen in nothing but a fitted coral blue silk nightshirt that is nipped in the waist flattering his slim figure. Hux is clad in black, with only a slit around his eyes exposed and a few wisps of fiery red hair that have escaped from under his fitted bandana._

_In this fantasy, Kylo chews on his luscious lip as Hux’s gaze wanders over his lithe frame in his semi see through nightwear, before hungrily setting on his virgin mouth. Hux amusedly watches the war rage inside his chest: of wanting to kiss him or push him off the balcony. Both must be immensely appealing. Kylo always taunts him that Hux has never actually successfully stolen any of their jewels. He always smirks at this. His hand hovering over Kylo's jaw line, inches away from cupping his face and tracking those disapproving lips._

_‘It's not jewels I desire. It's something much more valuable’._

_Before Kylo can reply. The sound of armoured marching reaches their ears. The guards know he's here. With a flourish of his cape, Hux ascends the vine from Kylo's balcony with ease. Landing on his mount and galloping away into the night._

He cringes, it's absurd. Childish even, but nonetheless it's one that he likes to dwell on, especially when he's halfway between sleep and awake. Sometimes he dreams so vividly; he can almost hear the pitter patter of the rain fall softly on Kylo’s open window; the smell of leather mixed with horse is distinct as is the feeling of softness of Kylo’s palm, as he leans in to leave open mouth kisses on it. But it's the rich topaz eyes that constantly haunt him throughout the rest of the day, seducing him with promises of his unattainable desires.

Shaking himself out of this prepubescent daydream. He berates himself for the millionth time of how ridiculous he sounds. Due to the vividness of these dreams, he sometimes wonders if theses are visions of parallel universes, where Kylo and himself have different varied complex lives. But this is wishful thinking. He has no known talents in being a seerer, this is just his desires playing out in moments of lethargy.

Kylo doesnt know about his magic and he wants to keep it that way. Being a witch is just another secret he hides, except this one is hidden behind a suit. His love is hidden by a crocodile smile and an illusion of friendship that is rooted in childish fondness, when in reality it is tainted with carnal lusts of adulthood. More and more frequently Hux finds his mind being invaded with a sinful Gaelic whispering, urging him to pull back the thick glossy hair and kiss the alabaster column of skin. To take his time with him, spoil him for no one else. It would be so easy to slip him something. He wouldn’t even a need a love potion, just a simple infatuation charm to plant the seed of thought into Kylo’s heart. Surely their love would bloom and he would truly be his in every sense of the word. Surely it wouldn’t take long for true feelings to take root, if he could just imagine how good they would be together!

They’d spend their days holding hands lost in their own little world, trading barbs that would only land soft blows. No more heartless users that only wanted for Kylo for his body or his connections. And the nights, oh the nights they would be such blissful torture. Hux would break him apart and the put him back together. It would be filled with the scrape of teeth on inner thighs, open mouth kisses on the palm of hands and a stream of promises whispered under covers.

But too many people have hurt Kylo. Countless bed mates that have strung him along with pretty words, faceless friends with empty promises. To use magic and turn him into a warm doll to do his bidding, devoid of any of the faults that he has come to love/hate would not only be meaningless, but would be the greatest betrayal. So he keeps his powers mostly to himself ....but if he does the odd incantation to make Kylo’s life a bit easier, than the less Kylo knows the better.

For instance; giving an offering to Habonde on the day Kylo’s boss decides on raises (and good god Kylo needs one look at the state of his shoes), or when he tells his familiar Milicent to follow him home on nights, when Kylo walks home instead of spending money on the bus (he lives in a bad part of town), or when he did a quick a temporary banishment hex on Kylo’s family when he couldn’t mentally handle them intruding on his life (are they aware of what their nitpicking does to his fragile self esteem?), or hand sewing a herb pouches when Kylo relents and lets him help with the laundry .It changes with each month but recently hes tried manifestation spells to help with self esteem and had been successful till now.

Satisfied with the state of the guest room he moves into the kitchen to brew some tea. His immaculate kitchen with chrome clean lines, devoid of any personality is everything that Hux wishes. It’s straight out of a Ikea catalogue and helps him keep up the facade of middle class accountant. No occult practices in sight! Boiling the kettle he watches the steam rise. Hux maybe a witch but there's nothing more he detest than magic wasted. Lemon and ginger herbal tea with a drop of honey will work just as well as any comfort spell.

Hux feels sleek wet skin slide against his back, he hadn't heard the bathroom door open and Kylo’s quite tread had gone unnoticed. Dojo training has left him with the gait of a panther, despite his size. Kylo snakes his arms around his middle interlinking his fingers and giving him a small squeeze. It feels like missing a step on the stairs and Hux is glad he’s facing away from him, as he is sure there is a slight blush creeping across his cheeks. The hair that has curled around his ears due to the water tickles the back of Hux’s neck. Hux fails to take in what he is mumbling about, something about letting me stay and too much trouble, he’s too mesmerised by the abundance of goosebumps on Kylo’s forearms. For a heartbeat he imagines the shivers Kylo’s radiating are for him.

The tempting warmth is creating a pain in Hux’s chest that he can only describe as truly exquisite. Being so close and yet not having permission to truly indulge is torture. It’s a fine balance being Kylo’s friend and confident in moments such as these. If they were more than friends, Hux would turn in his arms and grab his face and kiss him and end it with a small flick of tongue that would taste like the promise of sex.

Ignoring the vague excitement that this fantasy has brought on, Hux schools his features into exasperation, whilst giving him a playful push.

“Go to bed. Sleep well and tomorrow will be bright and clear. I promise.”

Shaking his head slightly to get his fringe out of his eyes, Kylo gives him a small lopsided smile. Gratefully accepting his drink he turns and shuffles to the spare bedroom. Letting out a deep breathe, Hux heads to the couch and promptly slumps against the back cushions. Pretending to have only platonic feelings often feels so arduous, sometimes like wearing a ill-fitted suit.

The hours slowly tick by as he listlessly checks his phone. The lunar app is flashing; Mars is currently in the house of Virgo, but he is in no mood tonight to indulge his spell work talents.

Still no word from Techie. The angry parting words of: “Do you think I wouldn't sense a deterrent enchantment? I wasn't born yesterday!’ have consistently run round his head for the past few days. Followed by the look of distrust and hurt, so having Kylo stay has been a welcome respite. This isn't the first time he and Techie have fallen out over the use of magic. While Hux dabbles on the occasional spell for wellbeing (a certain 6ft 6 lump needs a great deal of looking after), Hux’s talents lie in numerical magic which is almost clinical in nature. A few well selected enchantments, a slight incantation under specifically timed astronomical signs, has meant that he has managed to hold the reins to most of Europe’s financial powerhouses. Underhand and perhaps morally indefensible, Hux bathes in the knowledge that he and he alone controls significant strings across the world.

  
Techie is a kitchen witch like his mother through and through. The modest but lushious roof garden he owns provides him with enough ingredients to supply his small but thriving online catering business. His bi-weekly market stalls are to die for. Delectable date slices that are mixed with apple produce a guaranteed fertility spell, petit peppermint brownies that are lovingly mixed with productivity and dedication, and Hux's personal favourite peach and honey tarts that smell like hope and taste like possibilities. There is nothing underhanded about Techie’s magic, it's pure earthy and full of warmth, where Hux's calculated cold and detached.

  
Techie’s magic smells like roasted chestnuts, the crunch of autumn leaves and the feel of a well loved but worn fleece. He has been told that his own brand of magic smells like marker pens, the click of shoes on a marble floor and feels like a comb softly, but determinedly pulling through your hair. It’s no wonder that he is predominantly single if this is the awe his magic gives off. Not that he tries very hard anyway, his heart is never truly in it.

Staring at his phone, he decides to extend an olive branch and sends out at text, “I’m sorry if I hurt you brother. I truly had your best interests at heart and if Matt does too. I will welcome him into your life with open arms”.

It’s mostly true. This Matt (such a common name), just seemed so brutish and ill suited to his waif like brother. The second Sunday of every month Hux meets Techie at his stall to help him clear up, before ambling off to Whernside, where there offer their respects to their mother under a blanket of stars.

This particular Sunday he had sensed the blonde hovering in his peripheral vision. When gesturing slightly with his chin, Techie had looked behind him and bashfully waved and told him that was Matt who owned the florist stall opposite. The fact that Techie had obviously initiated a conversation with this Matt speaks volumes. Turning to take in this figure, he notices Matt’s longing gaze and the way his hands are bunched in his poorly fitted parker. Oh no this won't do. Hux already has one lovelorn idiot in his life he doesn't need another one. Techie’s heart is much more fragile than Hux’s. He hasn’t had the pleasure of living with heartbreak every day of his life from the age of 8.  
Thinking that he was doing Techie a favour, Hux had performed the enchantment. Believing that this Matt’s attachment was shallow at best, he ignored the twinge of guilt reasoning that Techie’s initial disappointment would soon wash away. This apparently was not meant to be and the fallout had been considerable. He hopes this text will ease the burn that his spell has inflicted. But for now his phone stays stubbornly silent.

Turning to stare at the guest bedroom’s door, Hux wonders about the current inhabitant. Due to many sleepovers during their childhood years, Hux knows first hand that Kylo is very rarely granted a restful sleep. He’s confident in his spellwork but it never hurts to check. Poking his head around the door he sees Kylo is well on his way to a deep slumber. The room is bathed in moonlight and all is still, the poetic silence of the room was only broken by the rise and fall of Kylo’s deep breathing. The sheets have become tangled around his legs and somehow he has managed to pull off the undercover, holding it in a tight grip.

Having Kylo like this is such a privilege, as he gets to marvel at his features that are now relaxed and completely unguarded. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Hux creeps forward and perches on the edge of his bed. Hair fanned out like a halo, a small frown adorns his face, lips slightly parted and looking as soft as petals, he truly does look like a prince. There are traces of paint under his nails. Hux smiles, the inspiration amulet he gave Kylo for his birthday is finally working. It won't be long till he picks it back up again.

  
Hux attempts to draw some shallow breaths as he tries valiantly to control the overwhelming urge to cup Kylo’s jaw and turn his face towards him, to give him soft eskimo kisses. His native language propels him to act on his instincts that seem to be trying to control every fiber of his being. He wants to drown in this elusive heat that is radiating off him. The clean scent of his recent bath calls to him as does the junction of Kylo’s neck. Hux is sure it would be the smell of; crisp winter afternoons drinking hot apple cider sitting on the steps of York minster, it would be the smell of unwashed sheets in Kylo’s tree house, of nail polish remover, of early morning walks across the murky moors and archaic dusty textbooks as kylo snores lightly while he studies for his A-levels, of a reminder of that one time they sat in the twilight of Hux’s home, watching the fireworks on bonfire night, Hux turning to listen to him, not realising how close they were, not realising how tangled their legs had become. Hux had felt a ribbon of heat flourish between them and it would have been a perfect moment to lean in and see if he could count Kylo’s eyelashes before kissing him, but it had been ruined by the shrill wail of Kylo’s blood hound Chewie. It’s the smell of home.

With a kiss of his fingertips he leans forward and tucks a loose strand of one of Kylo’s locks behind his ear, in the process exposing a an expanse of neck that was made Hux to nuzzle that oh so soft skin.

“Mo thaisce. Brionglóidí milis” he whispers.

Kylo suddenly stirs, rubbing his face into the pillow. Feeling a living presence near him, he stills suddenly. Turning his head and squinting through his drooping eyelids. He looks from Hux’s mortified expression to his well manicured hand which is frozen in mid air.

“Hux?”.

Fear ripples through Hux’s chest. He can’t confess. He would lose everything.

“I was just checking your temperature, your skin was like ice when you came in”, he lies smoothly.

Still with a befuddled look Kylo’s eyes soften slightly and the corner of his mouth twitches with a hint of fondness. “Go to bed Hux. Stop mothering me”.

“Do you need anything?”. For a second thread of a moment he imagines Kylo leaning back and replying in a low and husky voice ,’come to bed and make love to me’.  
But the gods are not that kind in this world and this is the universe that his heart dwells.

Kylo shakes his head and sinks back into the pillow. With a car crash of a smile he replies, “Well if you need anything you know where I am”.

He rises and closes the door firmly behind him. Kylo loves him, but is not _in_ love with him and for now that is enough. It has to be.


End file.
